At the Library: Nancie Saxton at Cultural Fest

March 22, 2012

Wednesday, March 28th at 4:30 p.m., Captiva Memorial Library's Cultural Fest presents Nancie Saxton author of Poems by Marines in Combat. "Nancie is the daughter of a Marine who served in the Korean War. She was inspired by her father and a Marine she had dated who wrote several poems while serving in the Vietnam War. From the first time she read these poems, she felt they should be published. With these poems as her inspiration and the support of her father, she collected additional poems that were written by Marines and compiled them to create this book. Nancie received dozens of poems from marines across the nation who fought in combat. This unforgettable compilation touches the soul and gives an inspirational look at what it was like for those who fought for our freedom. For her work, Nancie received the 2011 Robert A. Gannon Award through the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. In 2011, Nancie was honored at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA."

Thursday March 29th at 3 p.m. -- Kids will not want to miss Scandinavian Folktales at the the Captiva Memorial Library. Bring the entire family to enjoy stories from Scandinavian countries and to make your own friendly troll.

Support for Captiva Memorial Library programs is provided by the Captiva Memorial Library Board and the Captiva Civic Association.

Warriors and heroes make for timeless reading:

Growing Up Patton by Benjamin Patton

"This unique memoir by the grandson of General George S. Patton Jr. offers a rare and intimate look into the life of the legendary man and the legacy he passed down from one generation to the next. It includes never before published letters between General George S. Patton and his son during WWII, as well as never before published family photographs. The grandson of the legendary World War II general George S. Patton Jr., documentary filmmaker Benjamin Patton explores his family legacy and shares the inspirational wit and wisdom that his grandfather bestowed upon his only son and namesake. In revealing personal correspondence written between 1939 and 1945, General Patton Jr. espoused his ideals to Benjamin's father, then a cadet at West Point. Dispensing advice on duty, heroism and honor with the same candor he used ordering the Third Army across Europe, the letters show Patton to be as dynamic a parent as a military commander. Following in those famous footsteps, Benjamin's father became a respected and decorated hero of both the Korean and Vietnam wars. Ironically, as he rose to Major General, he also proved himself just as brave, flamboyant, flawed and inspiring as his father had been. A study of a great American original, Growing Up Patton features some of the pivotal figures in Benjamin's father's life, including Creighton Abrams, the WWII hero who became his greatest mentor; Charley Watkins, a daredevil helicopter pilot in Vietnam; Manfred Rommel, the son of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel; Joanne Patton, the author's mother and a resourceful fighter in her own right; and Benjamin's mentally challenged brother, Georgeexplores how the Patton cultural legacy lives on, and in the end, reveals how knowing the history of our heritage-famous or not-can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves." *

The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc by Nancy Goldstone

"The untold story of the extraordinary queen who championed Joan of Arc. Politically astute, ambitious, and beautiful, Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily, was one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. Caught in the complex dynastic battle of the Hundred Years War, Yolande championed the dauphin's cause against the forces of England and Burgundy, drawing on her savvy, her statecraft, and her intimate network of spies. But the enemy seemed invincible. Just as French hopes dimmed, an astonishingly courageous young woman named Joan of Arc arrived from the farthest recesses of the kingdom, claiming she carried a divine message-a message that would change the course of history and ultimately lead to the coronation of Charles VII and the triumph of France. Now, on the six hundredth anniversary of the birth of Joan of Arc, this fascinating book explores the relationship between these two remarkable women, and deepens our understanding of this dramatic period in history. How did an illiterate peasant girl gain access to the future king of France, earn his trust, and ultimately lead his forces into battle? Was it only the hand of God that moved Joan of Arc-or was it also Yolande of Aragon?" *

"A strategist to match Machiavelli; a warrior who stood toe to toe with the Borgias; a wife whose three marriages would end in bloodshed and heartbreak; and a mother determined to maintain her family's honor, Caterina Riario Sforza de' Medici was a true Renaissance celebrity, beloved and vilified in equal measure. In this dazzling biography, Elizabeth Lev illuminates her extraordinary life and accomplishments. Raised in the court of Milan and wed at age ten to the pope's corrupt nephew, Caterina was ensnared in Italy's political intrigues early in life. After turbulent years in Rome's papal court, she moved to the Romagnol province of Forli. Following her husband's assassination, she ruled Italy's crossroads with iron will, martial strength, political savvy, and an icon's fashion sense. In finally losing her lands to the Borgia family, she put up a resistance that inspired all of Europe and set the stage for her progeny including Cosimo de' Medici to follow her example to greatness. A rich evocation of Renaissance life, The Tigress of Forli reveals Caterina Riario Sforza as a brilliant and fearless ruler, and a tragic but unbowed figure." *

The Boy Who Went to War by Giles Milton

"A powerful and true story of warfare and human survival that exposes a side of World War II that is unknown by many this is the story of Wolfram Achele, a boy whose childhood was stolen by a war in which he had no choice but to fight. Giles Milton has been a writer and historian for many years, writing about people and places that history has forgotten. But it took his young daughter's depiction of a swastika on an imaginary family shield - the swastika representing Germany - for Giles to uncover the incredible, dark story of his own family and his father-in-law's life under Hitler's regime. As German citizens during World War II, Wolfram and his Bohemian, artist parents survived one of the most brutal eras of history. Wolfram, who was only nine years old when Hitler came to power, lived through the rise and fall of the Third Reich, from the earliest street marches to the final defeat of the Nazi regime. Conscripted into Hitler's army, he witnessed the brutality of war - first on the Russian front and then on the Normandy beaches. Seen through German eyes and written with remarkable sensitivity, The Boy Who Went to War is a powerful story of warfare and human survival and a reminder to us all that civilians on both sides suffered the consequences of Hitler's war." *